5 Ways Americans Are Building Wealth in 2025 — Should You Join Them?
High-Yield Savings Accounts
Americans are saving, but not always in the smartest way. According to a 2025 LendingTree survey, 29% of respondents say they use online savings accounts as part of their wealth-building strategy. Yet a Santander survey revealed 69% aren’t using higher-yield accounts like HYSAs, CDs, or money markets.
What Do Experts Think?
“If it’s below 3% you should be looking. You should be finding a vehicle that has a better rate than that,” Kate Byrne, head of Cash Plus distribution at Vanguard, told Business Insider.
Takeaway: High-yield savings accounts are smart for emergency funds and short-term goals. Just don’t confuse saving with investing.
Managing Debt
Can you be wealthy with debt? The LendingTree survey found 66% of Americans believe you can, with 31% saying only if it’s mortgage debt. Mortgages are viewed as wealth-building because they increase equity, while high-interest consumer debt drains it.
What Do Experts Think?
Zigmont stresses that debt payoff is one of the fastest wealth-builders. “The key is to get out of debt and stay out of debt,” he said. Paying off balances, he adds, delivers a guaranteed, tax-free return, which is something even the stock market can’t promise.
Takeaway: Eliminating high-interest debt should be a top priority before chasing other strategies.
But for those looking ahead, new tools like AI and crypto are still tempting options.
Tech, AI, and Crypto
Technology is the wild card. LendingTree found 39% of men believe AI will improve their wealth-building chances, compared with 22% of women. Crypto also remains popular among younger and higher-income Americans, though many are unsure if it helps or hurts.
What Do Experts Think?
Johnson is skeptical. “One of the biggest wealth-building trends I am seeing is speculation in cryptocurrencies. Now, I say speculation because it is a misnomer to categorize any commitment of funds to cryptocurrency. It is simply speculation as one can’t use traditional valuation tools to value cryptocurrencies.”
He warns against chasing hype: “The biggest mistake is exactly that — they try and follow trends. The biggest driver of herd behavior is FOMO — the fear of missing out. In my opinion, this is what is driving much of the current mania in cryptocurrencies.”
Takeaway: Crypto isn’t investing, it’s speculation. If you’re serious about building wealth, treat it like a gamble, not a long-term plan.
The Bottom Line
Trends come and go, but experts say real wealth is built slowly. Johnson recalls Warren Buffett’s philosophy: “Jeff Bezos once asked Warren Buffett, ‘You are the second-richest man in the world, and yet you have the simplest investment thesis. How come others didn’t follow this?’ To which Buffett responded, ‘Because no one wants to get rich slowly.'”
In short, wealth in 2025 isn’t about being first to the next hot trend — it’s about discipline, patience, and letting compounding do the heavy lifting.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Ways Americans Are Building Wealth in 2025 — Should You Join Them?
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